Reviews, news, and features from the world of soused cinema
ALCOHOL--THE FABRIC OF FILM HISTORY IS SOGGY WITH THE STUFF. STILL, FILM HISTORIANS HAVE RARELY GIVEN BOOZE ITS DUE. THIS SITE IS DEDICATED TO SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT.
USA/Silent/B&W-26m./Dir: Charles Chaplin/Wr: Charles Chaplin/Cast: Charles Chaplin (Laborer), Phyllis Allen (His Wife), Mack Swain (Foreman), Edna Purviance (Foreman’s Daughter); Syd Chaplin (Charlie’s Friend & Lunch Cart Owner); Henry Bergman (Drinking Companion)
When critics discuss Charlie Chaplin’s best work, they usually mention the twelve classic shorts that he created under his 1916-1917 contract with Mutual Studios (including One A.M.and The Immigrant) and the later features that he made as an independent producer with United Artists (The Gold Rush, City Lights, etc.). The short subjects that Chaplin produced for First National Pictures between those two golden eras (1918-1923) are largely ignored. That does a great disservice to Chaplin’s First National output; because the best of those films--A Dog's Life (1918),The Idle Class (1921), Pay Day (1922), and The Pilgrim (1923)--match or surpass the quality of the Mutual shorts and are amongst the best work the comedian ever produced.
Pay Day (1922) is a banquet for lovers of soused slapstick. The short begins with Charlie arriving late for work on the construction site of a multi-level building. The foreman (Mack Swain) quickly puts the tardy laborer to work catching and stacking bricks on the second floor of the structure. As the workmen below pitch bricks in the air, Charlie catches the missiles in increasingly difficult positions (achieved through the simple special effect of running the film backwards). A short lunch break interrupts this acrobatic act, and Charlie (who didn’t bring his own lunch) manages to swipe the other employee’s meals through the aid of several well-choreographed elevator gags. After more brick stacking, Charlie receives his pay, a portion of which he hides from his battle-axe of a wife (Phyllis Allen), so he can go out drinking.
The second half of the short consists of the aftermath of an evening of drunken debauchery. Charlie and several of his work companions stagger out of the “Bachelor’s Club” and say their goodbyes before heading for home. This includes bickering over world affairs, a chorus of “Sweet Adeline,” getting tangled up in each others coats, and confusing Charlie’s cane for an umbrella. When it at last the men part, Charlie is so lubricated that he mistakenly hops on a lunch wagon, taking it for his streetcar home. This extended drunk sequence proves that, even after producing dozens of booze-fueled short subjects, Chaplin still found intoxication to be one of the most reliable themes from which to develop original comedy.
Pay Day might not rank with The Immigrant (1917) and A Dog's Life (1918) as one of the top ten shorts that Chaplin ever produced, but it would rank very near the top of the remainder of the list. It may be second-tier Chaplin; but it is a solid laugh-getter that is more inventive than the best films of most other comedians.
Drinks Consumed--Unknown (consumed offscreen)
Intoxicating Effects--Staggering, stumbling, slurred speech, hiccups, bickering, and harmonizing Potent Quotables--CHARLIE (SLURRED TITLE CARD): Where’s Christen-z-zen street?
Video Availability--The First National shorts have received a couple of major DVD releases, first from Image and later by Warner Home Video. If possible, try to get the out-of-print, original Image DVD which features the shorts as they were originally released in the 1920’s. The Warner Brothers release features the re-cut versions that Chaplin released in the 1970’s. Some of these re-cut versions have less footage, and others are stretch-printed to run a sound projection speed, which gives the video a staggered, unnatural look that ruins the timing of the comedy. Warner also did a poor job of transferring these inferior versions. The films are framed incorrectly, they play at the wrong frame speed, and the picture quality is poor due to PAL-conversion.
Similarly Sauced Cinema--Chaplin continued to use soused slapstick after he jumped from short subjects to feature films, most notably in his masterpiece, City Lights (1931).
USA/C-92m./Dir: Sol Tryon/Wr: Mike O’Connell & Peter Kline/Cast: Mike O’Connell (K. Roth Binew), Jesse Eisenberg (Mills Joaquin), Jim Gaffigan (Lampert Binew), Ann Dowd (Librarian), Eddie Pepitone (Reginald), Marla (Diane Kagan)
Take one part Wes Andersonian whimsy, a couple of parts British absurdism (in the mode of Sir Henry at Rawlinson End), add a dash of Withnailesque melancholy, shake vigorously, and the resulting cocktail might end up something like The Living Wake. This bizarre indie comedy stars Mike O’Connell as K. Roth Binew, a self-proclaimed artist and dedicated drunkard, who is dying of a yet-to-be-named disease that is extremely punctual. With the help of his best friend, manservant, and biographer, Mills Joaquin (Jesse Eisenberg), Binew uses his final day to visit friends, enemies, lovers, family, and the village liquorsmith, in hopes of finding the meaning of life that has thus far eluded him. During each visit, the individuals who have played a part in the short existence of the dying dipsomaniac also receive an invitation to attend Binew’s final bow--a wake to be held during the last minutes of his life.
It is difficult to maintain a comic premise over a ninety-plus minute running time, and absurdist comedy is even more difficult to sustain. So, as one would expect, there are problems with The Living Wake. The writing is uneven, some of the characters seem miscast, and the acting styles of some of the secondary actors clash with the material. Worst of all, what should be the high points of the film--two instances in which the main character bursts into song--are instead the movie’s nadir, because the lyrics of the songs are uninspired, lacking the polish and verbal wit that is present throughout the rest of the script. However, these are trifling quibbles, because The Living Wake is insanely entertaining.
What makes the movie work so wonderfully well, despite its deficiencies, is the brilliant lead performance by Mike O’Connell. There are comedians that say funny things and others that say things funny. While the script, co-written by O’Connell and Peter Kline, is often quite clever, O’Connell falls more in the latter category. With his original, cheerily bombastic delivery, he manages to sell the best and weakest punch lines with equal aplomb. Consequently, when O’Connell is on screen, which is nearly the entirety of the running time, the movie never lags.
It should also be noted… no, that is too weak a word. It should also be shouted from the hilltops that K. Roth Binew is the most original and engaging comic creation to grace the screen since Paul Reubens created Pee Wee Herman. Binew is a bourbon-guzzling drunkard, an egotist, a failed artist, a bit of a con man, an old lady fetishist, and a dandy. However, despite his cartoonishness and moral shortcomings, the character is also relatable in his search for meaning, his remorse over his artistic failures, and his attempts to connect with friends and family. It is rare that an absurdist character can engender pathos, but Binew is an exception. One can only hope that Mike O’Connell finds a way to resurrect this captivating persona for future projects.
Of course, as good as O’Connell and his comic creation are, there are supporting players that also deserve praise. First among these is Jesse Eisenberg, in the less showy role of Binew’s companion, Mills Joaquin. His timid, understated delivery is a perfect compliment to O’Connell’s bombast. In addition, the cinematography by Scott Miller provides a beautiful, golden, autumnal setting for the story; and the score by Carter Little and O’Connell provides the perfect background. Finally, first time director, Sol Tryon, does a fantastic job of balancing numerous disparate elements and helps O’Connell and Eisenberg sell the jokes.
The Living Wake is likely to split audiences into “love it” or “hate it” categories. However, if you have a tolerance for whimsy and a taste for the absurd, I highly recommend sampling this potent, intoxicating concoction.
Drinks Consumed--Stubborn Grouse Bourbon and other whiskeys, Schnapps, wine, and beer
Intoxicating Effects--Melancholy, increased libido, soused sex, and harmonizing
Potent Quotables--K.ROTH BINEW: Mills, a quote from my father, “I drink to bring myself down to the level of the common man. But remember, the common man drinks, so I must drink twice as much. I’m a big advocate of an even playing field.”
Similarly Sauced Cinema--Absurdist comedy often works better in small doses, as evidenced by the hilarious short subject, The Reeducation of Mills Joquin, which portrays the beginning of the friendship between K. Roth Binew and Mills (here portrayed by Bryan Brown). This 19-minute short is included on the DVD of The Living Wake.
USA/C-91m./Dir: Wayne Ewing/Cast: Hunter S. Thompson (Himself), Anita Thompson (Herself), Warren Zevon (Himself), Sheriff Bob Braudis (Himself), Jennifer Erskine (Herself), Ed Bradley (Himself)
With the 2003 documentary, Breakfast with Hunter, Wayne Ewing shared a small portion of the hundreds of hours of video that he shot of his friend Hunter S. Thompson during the last two decades of the great writer’s life. The film was a patchwork quilt, that allowed fans of the journalist’s prose to eavesdrop on the writer as he relaxed in his Woody Creek home, reminisced with friends and collaborators about some his best writing assignments, and consulted (at times reluctantly) on the movie version of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. Ewing’s documentary provided a rare glimpse of the real Hunter S. Thompson (warts and all), rather than the self-created caricature and icon of overindulgence, Raoul Duke.
Since Wayne Ewing followed up on Breakfast with Hunter with two documentaries that touched upon Thompson’s world without focusing on the writer himself--When I Die (2005) and Free Lisl: Fear & Loathing in Denver (2006)--it was only natural to assume that the documentarian had used up the best footage of Hunter in his first film. However, Ewing has proven us wrong with the release of a sequel, Animals, Whores, and Dialogue: Breakfast with Hunter Vol. 2, which is just as delightful and illuminating as the 2003 original.
The title of the new film comes from the words of inspiration that Hunter taped to the top of his electric typewriter--ANIMALS * WHORES * DIALOGUE * ELECTRICITY--and the doc is framed around a November 16, 2003 writing session in Hunter’s home, in which he consumes copious quantities of Chivas Regal Scotch, while bouncing ideas off his wife and others in the room. The opportunity to witness one of the greatest writers of the 20th Century hunting and pecking on his typewriter is enough to recommend the movie. However, the sequel is just as loosely constructed as the original; and we quickly leave Owl Farm to enjoy precious footage of Hunter attending parties honoring him and his work, sharing behind-the-scenes stories with interviewers, comparing the relative evils of Richard M. Nixon and George W. Bush, and lighting up visibly when hearing someone read a particularly well-turned phrase from one of his articles.
Like Breakfast With Hunter, Animals, Whores, and Dialogue makes no attempt to provide a biographical background for the clips that it presents, so it is not recommended for viewers who are unfamiliar with Thompson’s life and work. However, for fans of the late, great Dr. Gonzo, Vol. 2 is just as essential viewing as the 2003 original. Let’s hope Wayne Ewing has even more treasures in reserve to give us a Vol. 3.
Drinks Consumed--Chivas Regal Scotch, wine, beer, and champagne
Intoxicating Effects--Pure orneriness
Potent Quotables--ED BRADLEY (a toast): Hunter, after all that fucking Chivas, man, there’s three-quarters of a bottle over there, ya know. And I really wish you were here to drink it. I understand why you did what you did. I miss you. Video Availability--The DVD of Animals, Whores, and Dialogue: Breakfast With Hunter Vol. 2 and Wayne Ewing’s other HST documentaries can only be purchased directly from the director’s Website, Hunter Thompson Films (http://www.hunterthompsonfilms.com/)
USA/B&W-69m./Dir: Edward L. Cahn/Wr: Robert J. Gurney Jr & Al Martin/Cast: Steven Terrell (Johnny Carter), Gloria Castillo (Joan Hayden), Frank Gorshin (Joe Gruen), Lyn Osborn (Artie Burns), Raymond Hatton (Farmer Larkin)
When the subject of little green men from outer space arises, the picture that appears in many people’s minds is that of the imaginative (albeit floppy) alien costumes created for the low budget 1957 drive-in flick Invasion of the Saucer Men. The image of these critters is ingrained in pop culture; and for every one person that has actually watched the movie, hundreds more have seen promotional film stills or toys based upon the creature designs. As a result, it will take many by surprise to discover that Invasion of the Saucer Men is, in fact, a “booze movie.”
In what purports itself to be a “true story of a flying saucer,” an alien craft lands in the small town of Hicksburg (the first groaner joke of the movie), which leads to a memorable night for a young couple, the military, a promoter looking for easy money, a farmer, and a drunken bull. The couple (Carter and Hayden) are driving back from “Lover’s Point” with their headlights off, to slip past the angry farmer who owns the land, when their car hits something. That “something” turns out to be the body of a bulbous-headed alien. While the couple see the body as an unspeakable horror, Joe Gruin (Frank “the Riddler” Gorshin), a whiskey-slugging con man, sees the extraterrestrial corpse as his ticket to easy street. However, before Joe can put the body on ice, the remaining Saucer Men attack the hooched-up huckster with needle-like nails that inject pure alcohol. Joe’s heart gives out, and the aliens make it look like the kids hit the overdosed alky with their car. It’s up to the young lovers to clear their name and take out the extraterrestrial menace (with a little help from a beer-loving bull).
It’s hard to defend Invasion of the Saucer Men. The writing is subpar, the production values are shoddy, and the performances (with the exception of those of Gorshin and Osborn) are mediocre at best. It’s simply a bad movie-- typical of the teen-oriented cheapies that American International Pictures cranked out in the 50’s and 60’s. Yet, Invasion of the Saucer Men is an enjoyable time waster. Everyone involved seemed to understand that they were making a bad film, and the film has a lighthearted, jokey atmosphere that makes it more engaging than many better-made 50’s sci-fi flicks.
There are even greater pleasures to be had for fans of soused cinema. For a science fiction film, Invasion of the Saucer Men is strangely liquor-centric. The teens at “Lover’s Point” are as engrossed in chugging cans of beer as they are in necking, the farmer’s prize bull is constantly seeking discarded beer cans to get his buzz on, and Gorshin’s character repeatedly downs slugs off his flask-sized whiskey bottle. Most significantly, the alien’s weapon of choice is alcohol, bringing a new meaning to the term “dead drunk.”
While Paul Blaisdell’s alien costume designs are the most significant aspect of Invasion of the Saucer Men, the film itself contains plenty of pleasures for both fans of cheesy, low-budget fare and soused cinema enthusiasts. Of course, your enjoyment of the film may be improved by knocking a few back yourself.
Drinks Consumed--Whiskey, beer, and alien venom
Intoxicating Effects--Slurred speech, hiccups, belching, and death
Potent Quotables--ARTIE: Wow, whatta buzz I got on. Is this some kind of a gag? JOAN: But how, Johnny? JOHNNY: Just like his roommate. Do ya get it, Joan? Acute alcoholism. These monsters kill their victims by sticking them with alcohol--pure alcohol!
Video Availability--Invasion of the Saucer Men has not been released on DVD in the U.S. However, if you own a region-free player, you can watch the PAL DVD that is available from Australia. An out-of-print VHS (Sony) was also previously released.
Similarly Sauced Cinema--If you think this film is bad, get a load of the color remake, The Eye Creatures (1965, a.k.a. Attack of the The Eye Creatures (sic)).
I like to drink. I like to watch movies. I like to watch movies about drinking. I like to write about the movies I’ve watched, but only if I’ve had a drink first.
USA/Silent/B&W-26m./Dir: Charles Chaplin/Wr: Charles Chaplin/Cast: Charles Chaplin (Laborer), Phyllis Allen (His Wife), Mack Swain (Foreman), Edna Purviance (Foreman’s Daughter); Syd Chaplin (Charlie’s Friend & Lunch Cart Owner); Henry Bergman (Drinking Companion)
When critics discuss Charlie Chaplin’s best work, they usually mention the twelve classic shorts that he created under his 1916-1917 contract with Mutual Studios (including One A.M. and The Immigrant
Pay Day (1922)
The second half of the short consists of the aftermath of an evening of drunken debauchery. Charlie and several of his work companions stagger out of the “Bachelor’s Club” and say their goodbyes before heading for home. This includes bickering over world affairs, a chorus of “Sweet Adeline,” getting tangled up in each others coats, and confusing Charlie’s cane for an umbrella. When it at last the men part, Charlie is so lubricated that he mistakenly hops on a lunch wagon, taking it for his streetcar home. This extended drunk sequence proves that, even after producing dozens of booze-fueled short subjects, Chaplin still found intoxication to be one of the most reliable themes from which to develop original comedy.
Pay Day might not rank with The Immigrant (1917)
Potent Quotables--CHARLIE (SLURRED TITLE CARD): Where’s Christen-z-zen street?
Similarly Sauced Cinema--Chaplin continued to use soused slapstick after he jumped from short subjects to feature films, most notably in his masterpiece, City Lights (1931).
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that is available from Australia. An 
was also previously released.
